Gas-lever-operating mechanism for use in connection with certain types of machine-guns.



H. R. NORTHOVER.

GAS LEVER OPERATING MECHANISMIOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH CERTAIN TYPES OF MACHINE GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23, |915- P Patented Deo. o, 19Ib.

Fq.. 5' a a 'M4/ *n 5% dq UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.

HARRY ROBERT NORTHOVER, F WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA.

GAS-LEVER-OPERATING MECHANISM FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITI-I CERTAIN TYPES 0F MACHINE-GUNS. v

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1916.

Application led November 23', 1915. Serial No. 63,105.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HARRY ROBERT NOR'- THOVER, subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 217 Graham avenue, W'innipeg, Manitoba, in the Dominion of Canada, gunsmith, have invented certain new and useful Gas-Lever`Operating Mechanism for Use in Connection with Certain Types of Machine-Guns, of which the following is a specification.

In gas-operated machine or automatic guns of the Colt type, the automatic working of the gun is effected by the pressure of the powder gases in the barrel acting, through a piston contained in a barrel-vent, upon a gas-lever which is fulcrumed to the body of the gun, below the front part of the bari rel, so as to be capable of swinging in a vertical plane thereunder, and is mechanically connected with the breech mechanism. This gas-lever, has, however, to be actuated by hand for performing any operations inci- 'dental to the working of the gun beyond those eifected by the action of the powder gases during the actual firing. For instance, the lever has to be. manually operated for transferring the first cartridge from a new feed-belt into the feed-block; also for reloading after a stoppage; also for ejecting any live cartridge that may remain in the barrel after the removal of the belt or after a misiire; also for ejecting jammed car- Ajtridge cases. The manual actuation of the gas-lever is thus frequently necessary when 35; the gun is inv action, and it follows from the fact that the lever is located at the front or muzzle end of the barrel that, if the gun is being fired over the parapet of a trench or from behind other liover, either one of the or tiring must be delayed by withdrawing the gun from position, every time the gaslever requires to be .worked by hand.

The present invention consists in an attachment or mechanism which can be readily applied to eXisting"Colt or like automatic guns, and which provides for the manual operation of the gas-lever from the rear or breech end of the gun, thus obviating ungun-crew or any disturbance of the aim of the gun when the said lever'has to be actuated by hand. The attachment also enables the gas-lever to be easily and lrapidly manipulated in trenchesor other confined po- 'may be conveniently imparted to the cable gun-crew must. dangerously expose himself,

necessary exposure of any member of the sitions. The saidl attachment or mechanism comprises a system of gearing which is mounted preferably on the left-hand side of the front part of the body of the gun, and is connected with the. gas-lever and an operating cable which is extended from the gearing, through suitable guides, to the breech end of the saidv gun, where it is furnished with a hand-loop or the like whereby a pullfor working the gear whenever it is required to operate the gas-lever independently of the' gas-pressure system. This leverf operating gear is constructed so that no part of the same moves when the gas-lever is actuated automatically.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents a general view of a Colt auto-I matic gun fitted with a gas-lever operating attachment constructed in accordance with one form of my invention. Fig. 2 is an elfevation, on an enlarged scale, of the forward part of the body of the gun and the mechanism which is mounted thereon; the said mechanism being shown, partly in Section and partly in elevation, with its elements in the positions they assume normally and also when the gas-lever is working automatically, z'. e., independently of the hand-operatingmechanism. Fig. 3 is a detail view, showing the connection between, the gas-lever of the gun and the levering arm or cam of the hand-operating mechanism. Fig. 4 is a plan of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an end view of the same, and Fig. 6 is a sectional view of apart of the mechanism taken upon the'dotted line w, Fig. 2.

The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawing. f V

In these figures, a is the body of a Colt gun, on which the demountable lbarrel b is secured by the barrel-brackets b1, b2, and c is the gas-lever which is fulcrumed to the said body and is actuated (when the gun is 100 working automatically) from a gas-piston contained in a gas-cylinder in the base of the barrel bracket 51,' the said lever being` connected with the breech mechanism of the gun in the usual way.

The principal parts of the mechanism for operating the gas-lever by hand in accordance with the present invention is located, in the arrangement shown in the drawing, on the left-hand side of the body a, imme- 1w l diately behind the gas-lever and it comprises a driving pinion d which is connected with an operating cable e, and a toothed sector f that meshes with the said-pinion and carries a rigid cam-arm or extension g adapted to connect with and'act upon the said gaslever. The driving pinion is mounted on the inner side of, and is rigidly connected to, a pulley or grooved disk Z1 which has its bearing on a stud Z2 attached to the side of the gun-body, while its grooved periphery contains the forward end of the operating cable e; this extremity of the said cable being suitably7 iXed to the pulley so that when the cable is drawn rearwardly, the said pulley and the driving pinion are turned through a corresponding arc of movement, while the toothed sector f is mounted on another stud f1 on the body and its forward extension or cam-arm g is arranged to bear upon the upper side of a rollered stud h which projects laterally from the forward end of the gas-lever. This arrangement admits of the gas-lever swinging independently of the quadrant arm when the gun is working automatically, but when the cable is pulled for setting the gear in motion by hand, the gear compels the said cam-arm to make a downward and rearward angular movement in a vertical plane, and to transmit a correspond ing movement to the gas-lever which, in turn, operates the breech mechanism, while when the rearward pull on the cable is relieved, theA gas-lever and the parts of the gear are restored to their normal positions by the action of the gas-lever return springs that are embodied in the ordinary mechanism or" the gun.

The cam-arm g may be provided with a spring catch ior the like, which normally engages with a notch l in the gun-body and prevents movement or displacement of any part of the operating gear when the gaslever is being operated automatically While the pulley and driving pinion may be inclosed within or protected by a case or cover y' having two gaps or openings jl, i2, in its periphery; onefor the operating cable to pass through and the other for thesector member to work within. Or instead of the spring catch being carried on the arm, a similar device may be mounted on the body of the gun in such a position that on the cam-arm g being lifted into its normal or 4 out-of-action position by the spring-return motion of the gas-lever, the said cam arm is engaged by the catch and held stationary until the mechanism is again normally oper-` ated. The cable e works within a tubular guide or sheath e1 that is attached to the side of the gun-body either by clips e2 as shown in the drawing, or by any other convenient means, .while the rearward end of the same is attached to a leather hand-loop e3 or the like to enable a member of the gun crew to readily draw the said cable rearwardly from the breech end of the gun whenever it is required to actuate the gaslever manually.

In the form of the invention shown inthe drawings, the ulcrum studs of the gear elements d and f are constructed so that they can be attached or applied to existing guns by screws or the like, and the cover or casing of the gear is adapted to be similarly attached, but if desired, the whole of the parts may be constructed as a self contained unit in which the fulcrum studs andthe cover are mounted on, or made as an integral part of a suitable base or attachmentplate. Further, instead of providing for the actuation of the driving pinion by a cable, any other mechanical means operable from the rear or breech end of the gun may be adopted for this purpose. The vcable arrangement illustrated has, however, the advantage that it aii'ords an eii'ective and sim ple means for working an attachment suitable for application to existing guns.

Having described my invention, what claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A mechanism for manually operating the gas-lever of Colt type automatic guns, comprising a movable member mounted on the gun to engage with the gas-lever to actuate the same, and a manually operated means connected to said member for actuating the same from the rear end'oiz the gun.

2. A mechanism for manually operating the gas-lever of automatic guns, comprising i a movable member mounted on the gun to engage'with the gas-lever to actuate the same, and a manually operated means connected to said member for actuating the same from the rear end of the gun, said member being arranged to remain stationary during the automatic operations of said gas-lever.

3. A mechanism for manually operating the gas-lever of automatic guns, comprising an arm pivotally mounted on the gun to engage with the gas-lever to actuate the same, a gearing operably connected with said arm for actuating the same, and a manually actuated member situated at the rear end of the gun'and having an operative connection With said gearing, said arm being arranged to normally lie out of the path of movement of the gas-lever whereby said arm remains stationary during the automatic operations of said gas-lever.

4. A mechanism for manually operating the gas-lever of automatic guns, comprising an arm pivotally mounted adjacent the muzzle end of the gun and adapted to engage with said gas-lever when actuated a toothed sector provided on one end of said arm, a pinion mounted on said gun tomesh with said sector, and manually actuated means for actuating said pinion and extending to 4is actuated. v 1^ 5. A mechanismv formanually operatingmoneta the breech end of the whereby said arm the gas-lever of automatic'guns, comprising an arm pivotall;7 mountedl on the gun adjacent its muzzle end and adapted to engage with said gas-lever when actuated, a toothed sector-provided on one end of said arm, a

' pinlon mounted on said gun to mesh with said sector, a grooved pulley associated with said pinion, an operating cable having oney end secured to the pulley and adapted to pass over the groove therein, and ide means extending to. the. breech 'end f o the gun and through Which-'said cable extends.

6. A; mechanism .for manually operating the gas-lever for Colt vvtype automatic guns, comprising an'arm ivotally mount-v ed on the gun to engage with the gas-lever t0 'actnate the same, a gearing mounted on the gun and connected with said arm for lactuating the same, a manually operated member situated at the rear end of the gun and having an operable connection with said gearing, said arm being actuated to of the gas-lever, and a spring detent carried by said arm and adapted to engage with 'the bodyiof the gun for retaining the arm in its normal position and stationary during the automatic voperations of said gas-lever. y p

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses. I

HARRY ROBERT NoR'rHoVEn.

Witnesses: f

ARTHUR SADLER,

.25 4normally lie lout of the path of movement 

